Adjustable grate frames

ABSTRACT

An adjustable frame configured to receive a standard grate includes a plurality of threaded openings that may be threadably engaged with bolts to adjust an elevation of the frame. The threaded openings may be configured to have a desired thread pitch, which in turn dictates how much the frame may be lowered or raised with one full turn of the bolt. Optionally, threaded bushings may be installed into the frame to engage with the bolts.

PRIORITY INFORMATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/471,600filed on Apr. 4, 2011 and is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to adjustable frames for grates orcovers, which may take the form of manhole covers for sewer, water,storm, electrical, etc., and also generally relates to methods ofinstalling the frames.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For underground sewer, water, storm and electrical infrastructure, agrate or manhole is provided in the road surface through which a workercan have access to an underground structure or tunnel to do repairs orother work. FIG. 1 shows a concrete structure 10 built below streetlevel. Different types of conduit 12 are accessible within the structure10. The structure 10 includes a cone-shaped upper portion 14. An uppersurface of the upper portion 14 is configured to seat a frame 16, whichin turn provides a support surface for a grate or manhole cover 18. Onedrawback of this system is that the frame 16 is not particularlyadjustable, but may be adjusted using shims, wood chips, pebbles andother material that may be found or made easily available at the site.Over time, the frame 16 and/or the grate 18 may not remain flush withthe road surface. In some cases, reinforcing concrete must be added tore-level the frame 16 and the grate 18. In other cases, concrete fromthe cone-shaped upper portion 14 must be removed. Nevertheless, as aconsequence of the frame 16 being relatively not adjustable it isdifficult to accurately level the grate 18 with the road surface. Whilethe shims, wood chips, pebbles and other material may be useful inadjusting the frame 16 such that the grate 18 is flush with the roadsurface, it has been found that these shimming materials may becomecompressed, crushed, pushed out or otherwise rendered less efficientresulting in a change in the alignment of the grate 18.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides an underground access port that includesan entry area having a shoulder, a conduit access area coupled to theentry area and one or more conduits, a portal device received by astructure. The portal device includes a removable section and anadjustable frame configured to receive the removable section. Theadjustable frame includes a plurality of adjustment devices configuredto allow adjustment of height of the frame relative to the shoulder.

In one aspect of the invention, the removable section includes a grateor a manhole cover.

In another aspect of the invention, the underground access port ismounted within at least one of a road or a sidewalk.

In still another aspect of the invention, the adjustment devicesincludes a plurality of threaded cavities located around the threadsthat are configured to engage with threads in the threaded cavity and aplurality of bolts configured to be received within the threadedcavities.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the bolts have a length greaterthan a thickness of the adjustable frame, and wherein the threadedcavities pass through the adjustable frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention aredescribed in detail below with reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an underground structure having a gratein accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an underground structure having anadjustable grate and frame assembly in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the grate and frame assembly of FIG. 2in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a grate and frame assembly in whichthe frame includes threaded openings to receive a plurality of bolts inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic close-up view of a portion of the frame moveableupwards or downwards in conjunction with a pitch of the bolt inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As will be described in further detail below, at least one embodiment ofthe invention includes a standard grate received by an adjustable framethat may be configured to be flush with a road surface. The frameincludes threaded openings that receive bolts, which when torquedprovide a selected upward or downward movement of the frame.

FIG. 2 shows a concrete structure 100 built below road or street level.Different types of conduit 102 are accessible within the structure 100.In the illustrated embodiment, the structure 100 includes a cone-shapedupper portion 104. An upper surface of the upper portion 104 isconfigured to seat an adjustable frame 106, which in turn is configuredto receive a standard grate or manhole cover (hereinafter grate) 108.

FIG. 3 shows the adjustable frame 106 with the standard grate 108received into a recessed portion of the frame 106. The frame 106includes a plurality of threaded openings 110 and optionally includes aplurality of structural support gussets 112. The threaded openings 110have a predefined thread pitch, which in turn dictates how much theframe 106 may be lowered or raised with one full turn of a bolt (notshown) received in the threaded openings 110.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of slanted road surface 200 and an accessstructure 202 with a shoulder 204 onto which an adjustable frame 206 maybe placed. The structure 202 was mounted perpendicular to a horizontalplane. In this example, the horizontal plane is not parallel to theslanted road surface 200. For purposes of brevity and clarity, a grate,such as the grate 108 in FIG. 3, is not shown as being received into theframe 206. Bolts 214 are threaded into openings 210 of the frame 206. Asa free end 216 of the bolt 214 contacts the shoulder 204, the frame 106rises with each rotation of the bolt 214 in accordance with its threadpitch. Thus, the bolt 214 at a higher end of the road surface 200 isthreaded further into the respective opening 110 than the bolt 214 at alower end of the road surface 200. This allows the frame 206 to be flushwith the road surface 200 because the frame 206 at the higher end ispositioned higher on the bolt 214 than at the bolt 214 at the lower end.

FIG. 5 is a close-up view of the bolt 214 received in the opening 210 ofthe adjustable frame 206. In this embodiment, a threaded bushing 218 isprovided in the opening 210. Therefore, maintenance or repair of theframe 206 would not necessarily require replacement of the entire frame206, but instead just replacement of the bolts 214 and the bushings 218.In addition, different bolts and corresponding bushing may be used fordifferent portions of the frame, where some bolts may have a finerthread pitch and others have a courser thread pitch.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, as noted above, many changes can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope ofthe invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferredembodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined by reference tothe claims that follow.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A utility access portaldevice received by a structure, the device comprising: a removablesection; and an adjustable frame configured to receive the removablesection, the adjustable frame comprising: a plurality of adjustmentdevices configured to allow adjustment of height of the frame relativeto the structure.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the removablesection comprises a grate.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein theremovable section comprises a manhole cover.
 4. The device of claim 1,wherein the structure is at least one of a road or sidewalk.
 5. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the adjustment devices comprise: a pluralityof threaded cavities located around the threads that are configured toengage with threads in the threaded cavity; and a plurality of boltsconfigured to be received within the threaded cavities.
 6. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the bolts have a length greater than a thickness of theadjustable frame, and wherein the threaded cavities pass through theadjustable frame.
 7. An underground access port comprising: an entryarea having a shoulder; a conduit access area coupled to the entry areaand one or more conduits; a portal device received by a structure, theportal device comprising: a removable section; and an adjustable frameconfigured to receive the removable section, the adjustable framecomprising: a plurality of adjustment devices configured to allowadjustment of height of the frame relative to the shoulder.
 8. The portof claim 7, wherein the removable section comprises a grate.
 9. The portof claim 7, wherein the removable section comprises a manhole cover. 10.The port of claim 7, wherein the underground access port is mountedwithin at least one of a road or a sidewalk.
 11. The port of claim 7,wherein the adjustment devices comprise: a plurality of threadedcavities located around the threads that are configured to engage withthreads in the threaded cavity; and a plurality of bolts configured tobe received within the threaded cavities.
 12. The port of claim 7,wherein the bolts have a length greater than a thickness of theadjustable frame, and wherein the threaded cavities pass through theadjustable frame.